The issue is when the payment reaches the embassy account.
When we submitted our application, I was able to book appointment before we paid the fee.
Due to flight delays I arrived a day late in Manila, the day before we were due to submit our application. We finally paid at 4pm phil time and when we arrived at the appointment the next day, even though we had the receipt, they would not let us submit our application because the payment had not arrived in the embassy bank account.